This invention relates to presenting multimedia information, and more particularly to choosing a multimedia presentation.
Server computers are often used to present information over a network, such as the Internet, an extranet or an intranet, for display on a client computer. The presented information may be a time-ordered sequence, or stream, of multimedia information, such as image frames captured from a moving object or sound amplitude signals associated with a sound or voice.
Macromedia Flash(trademark), available from Macromedia Inc., is sometimes used to display files representing multimedia streams. The Macromedia files contain a multimedia presentation consisting of a timeline of frames. The frames may contain graphics with associated audio, similar to the frames in a movie clip. Each frame is displayed for predetermined duration before the next frame in the timeline is displayed. As the timeline advances, the frames are displayed in sequence, creating an animated picture. Alternatively, the frames may contain commands that cause Macromedia Flash(trademark) to perform actions that are associated with the commands.
Different multimedia streams, may have different presentation requirements. For example, a multimedia movie stream with a large number of simultaneously displayed symbols in motion that also has a lot of color effects requires a lot of computer processing power to display, while a movie with a lot of sound and image resolution may require an internet connection with a high bandwidth to download the required high resolution information.
In general, one aspect of the invention relates to a method of presenting multimedia information on a computer including: playing a test presentation; determining a processing speed of the computer based on a playing time of the test presentation; selecting multimedia information based on the determined processing speed; and displaying the selected multimedia information.
In general, another aspect of the invention relates to a multimedia presentation, stored on a computer-readable medium, including: a test presentation; a first presentation of multimedia information; a second presentation of multimedia information; and a control file for causing a processor to select and display one of the first and second presentations according to the previously described method.
In general, yet another aspect of the invention relates to a multimedia presentation including a control file for causing a processor to perform the previously described method.
Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following. The processing speed of the computer is determined based on whether or not a refresh directive contained within a hypertext markup language file is executed before the playing of the test presentation is completed. The hypertext markup language file includes a link to the test presentation.
The method includes determining a speed of a network prior to selecting the multimedia information and then selecting of the multimedia information is based on the determined speed of the network. The selected multimedia information is loaded over the network before it is displayed. The speed of the network is determined based on a loading time of a test presentation, which is loaded over the network. The method includes playing a test presentation that includes sound information prior to selecting the multimedia information and then determining whether a user heard the sound information. The multimedia information is selected based on whether or not the user heard the sound information. Determining whether the user heard the sound information includes: asking the user whether the sound information was heard and checking the users response.
At least one of the test presentation and the multimedia information is represented in a Macromedia Flash file, Windows Media format, Real Video format, or QuickTime format. The test presentation is a Macromedia Flash presentation for display on a web browser and the method includes determining whether a Macromedia Flash plugin is installed on the web browser, prior to selecting the multimedia information. The multimedia information is selected based on whether the plugin is installed.
The invention chooses a multimedia information for displaying to a user based on the speed of the processor on the user""s computer, the speed of the network connection, the ability of the user""s computer to play sound, and so forth. It allows a multimedia developer to create presentations that have different requirements and present each user with the best presentation quality that can be supported by the users computer and network connection.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.